Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 5:27
None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken:
27. Their accoutrement is perfect down to the smallest detail.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
None shall be weary – In this verse and the following, the prophet describes the condition of the army that would be summoned to the destruction of Judea. It would be composed of bold, vigorous, courageous men; they would be unwearied by long and painful journies; they would be fierce and violent; they would come fully prepared for conquest. None would be weary, that is, fatigued with long marches, or with hard service; Deu 25:18; 2Sa 16:14.
Nor stumble – They shall be chosen, select men; not those who are defective, or who shall easily fall by any impediments in the way of their march.
None shall slumber – They shall be unwearied, and indefatigable, pursuing their purpose with ever watchfull vigilance – so much as not to be off their guard. They cannot be taken by surprise.
Neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed – The ancients wore a loose, large, flowing robe, or upper garment. When they labored, or ran, it was necessary to gird this up round the body, or to lay it aside altogether. The form of expression here may mean, that they will not relax their efforts; they will not unloose their girdle; they will not unfit themselves for vigorous action, and for battle. In that girdle, with which they bound up their robes, the orientals usually carried their dirks and swords; see Neh 4:18; Eze 22:15. It means that they should be fully, and at all times, prepared for action.
Nor the latchet of their shoes be broken – They will be constantly prepared for marches. The shoes, sandals, or soles were attached to the feet, not by upper leather, but were girded on by thongs or strings; see the notes at Mat 3:2.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 27. None – among them] Kimchi has well illustrated this continued exaggeration or hyperbole, as he rightly calls it, to the following effect: “Through the greatness of their courage they shall not be fatigued with their march; nor shall they stumble though they march with the utmost speed: they shall not slumber by day, nor sleep by night; neither shall they ungird their armour, or put off their sandals to take their rest. Their arms shall be always in readiness, their arrows sharpened, and their bows bent. The hoofs of their horses are hard as a rock. They shall not fail, or need to be shod with iron: the wheels of their carriages shall move as rapidly as a whirlwind.”
Neither shall the girdle] The Eastern people, wearing long and loose garments, were unfit for action or business of any kind, without girding their clothes about them. When their business was finished they took off their girdles. A girdle therefore denotes strength and activity; and to unloose the girdle is to deprive of strength, to render unfit for action. God promises to unloose the loins of kings before Cyrus, Isa 45:1. The girdle is so essential a part of a soldier’s accoutrement, being the last that he puts on to make himself ready for action, that to be girded, , with the Greeks means to be completely armed and ready for battle: –
,
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Iliad, xi. 15.
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Pausan. Boeot.
It is used in the same manner by the Hebrews: “Let not him that girdeth himself boast as he that unlooseth his girdle,” 1Kg 20:11; that is, triumph not before the war is finished.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
None shall be weary, though their march be long and tedious. As I have called them to this work, so I will strengthen and assist them in it. None shall slumber nor sleep; they shall all be watchful and diligent to take all opportunities and advantages of executing my judgments upon my people.
Neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken; which otherwise would hinder, or at least slacken, them in their march. I will take all impediments out of their way.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
27. wearywith long marches(De 25:18).
none . . . slumberrequiringno rest.
girdlewith which theancient loose robes used to be girded for action. Ever ready formarch or battle.
nor the latchet . . .brokenThe soles were attached to the feet, not by upperleather as with us, but by straps. So securely clad that not even astrap of their sandals gives way, so as to impede their march.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
None shall be weary nor stumble among them,…. Though they should come from far, and make long marches, yet none should be weary by the way, but go on with great cheerfulness and strength; and though they should make such haste, they should not stumble at any thing by the way, nor rush one against another, but proceed with great order in their several ranks:
none shall slumber nor sleep; day nor night, in any fixed stated times, as men usually do:
neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed; with which they should be girded both for strength and greater expedition; this they should not unloose, in order to lie down and take sleep:
nor the latchet of their shoes be broken, which might hinder their journey; they never plucked off their shoes: all the expressions show their indefatigableness, diligence, intenseness, and resolution, and the good order observed by them; see Joe 2:7.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
“There is none exhausted, and none stumbling among them: it gives itself no slumber, and no sleep; and to none is the girdle of his hips loosed; and to none is the lace of his shoes broken.” Notwithstanding the long march, there is no exhausted one, obliged to separate himself and remain behind (Deu 25:18; Isa 14:31); no stumbling one ( Coshel ), for they march on, pressing incessantly forwards, as if along a well-made road (Jer 31:9). They do not slumber ( num ), to say nothing of sleeping ( yashen ), so great is their eagerness for battle: i.e., they do not slumber to refresh themselves, and do not even allow themselves their ordinary night’s rest. No one has the girdle of his armour-shirt or coat of mail, in which he stuck his sword (Neh 4:18), at all loosened; nor has a single one even the shoe-string, with which his sandals were fastened, broken ( nittak, disrumpitur). The statement as to their want of rest forms a climax descendens; the other, as to the tightness and durability of their equipment, a climax ascendens: the two statements follow one another after the nature of a chiasmus.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
27. None shall be weary, nor stumble among them. The meaning is, that everything will be prepared and arranged in such a manner that there shall be no delay or obstruction to their march; as if a prince, having recruited the ranks of his soldiers, immediately gave orders that the roads should be cleared, provisions obtained, and everything necessary provided. He therefore shows that they will be fleet and swift, and that there will be nothing to hinder their rapid march.
None shall slumber nor sleep. He expresses their vast activity by saying that they will not be drowsy. In these words, they shall not slumber nor sleep, the natural order is inverted, He ought rather to have said, They shall not sleep nor slumber; for it is a smaller matter to slumber than to sleep. But that phrase ought to be explained in this manner: They shall not slumber nor even sleep; that is, they will be so far from sleeping, that they will not even slumber. You have an instance of this in these words:
Lo, he that keepeth Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. (Psa 121:4.)
It is a Hebrew phrase, with which neither the Greek nor the Latin idiom agrees.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(27-29) None shall be weary . . .The three verses paint the progress of the invading army. Unresting, unhasting, in perfect order, they march onward. They do not loosen their girdle for repose. The latchet or thong which fastens their sandals is not broken or untied. The light-armed troops are there, probably the Medes and Elamites in the Assyrian army (Isa. 13:18). The chariots of the Assyrians themselves are there, sweeping onward like a tempest. Their unshod hoofs (the practice of shoeing horses was unknown in the ancient East) are hard as flint. Comp. Homers epithet of brazen-footed (Il. v. 329); and Amo. 6:12. The battle-cry is heard far off like the roaring of lions.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Isa 5:27-29. None shall be weary, &c. We have in these verses a description of the quality of the forces which should come against Jerusalem; their vigour, activity, and diligence: Isa 5:27 their military expedition, readiness, skilfulness, and apparatus; Isa 5:28 their fortitude and undaunted courage; Isa 5:29. Particulars for which the Romans were remarkably eminent.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Isa 5:27 None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken:
Ver. 27. None shall be weary nor stumble. ] Though they come speedily, yet they shall none of them tire or turn out of the way, but come on with expedition, robusti, alacres, felices, probe armati, saevi Isa 5:27-29 being lively, lusty, happy, well appointed, fierce.
None shall slumber or sleep.
Neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed.
Nor the latchet,
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
shall be: Joe 2:7, Joe 2:8
neither: Isa 11:5, Isa 45:1, Isa 45:5, 1Ki 2:5, Job 12:18, Job 12:21, *marg. Psa 18:32, Psa 93:1, Dan 5:6, Eph 6:13, Eph 6:14
nor the latchet: Deu 32:25
Reciprocal: Nah 2:5 – they shall stumble Luk 12:35 – your loins
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Isa 5:27-29. None, &c. In these verses the prophet describes the quality of the forces which should come against Jerusalem; their vigour, activity, and diligence, Isa 5:27; their military expedition, readiness, skilfulness, and apparatus, Isa 5:28; their fortitude and undaunted courage, Isa 5:29; for all which particulars the Romans were remarkably eminent. Dodd. None shall be weary Though their march be long and tedious. As I have called them to this work, so I will assist them in it. None shall slumber nor sleep They shall all be watchful and diligent to take all opportunities of executing my judgments. Nor the latchet, &c., be broken I will take all impediments out of their way. Whose arrows are sharp Who are every way furnished and ready for my work, waiting only for my command. Their horses hoofs like flint Because they shall not be broken or battered by the length or stoniness and ruggedness of the way. And their wheels like a whirlwind For the swiftness of their march, and for the force and violence of their chariots in battle. They shall roar like young lions Which signifies both their cruelty, and their eagerness to catch and devour the prey. They shall lay hold on the prey, &c. These words do not agree to the Assyrians, for they were forced to retreat with great shame and loss, and the Jews were delivered from them: but they agree perfectly both to the Chaldeans and the Romans, both of whom carried the prey away safe, and none delivered it That is, neither the Jews themselves, nor any of their confederates, to whose help they trusted.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
5:27 None shall {g} be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the belt of their loins be loosed, nor {h} the latchet of their shoes be broken:
(g) They will be prompt and lusty to execute God’s vengeance.
(h) The enemy will have no impediment.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Israel’s enemy was ready and prepared to do the Lord’s bidding. She would devour Judah as hungry lions consume their prey.